Tribal Keynote Panel Highlights Future Direction of Indian Gaming at G2E 2009

The recognition of Indian country as a vital part of the gaming industry was on display at the 2009 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Industry professionals were on hand to learn about the latest issues and future direction of Indian gaming and gain access to tribal gaming leaders.

G2E 2009, which kicked off on November 17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the annual commercial gaming trade show and conference that draws over 30,000 gaming industry professionals worldwide. With the emergence and success of Indian gaming on the casino industry forefront, G2E is a good opportunity for tribal gaming industry leaders to see the latest tools and resources available in the worldwide gaming community.

One of the highlights of G2E 2009 was the tribal keynote panel hosted by the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). The Indian gaming round table, “On the Record- Tribal Gaming Issues and Answers”, was in the format of a “Meet the Press” style presentation, which was moderated by NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. and Roger Gros, Publisher of Global Gaming Business Magazine. The session focused on the next generation of tribal government leadership throughout Indian Country and highlighted key issues in federal legislation and recent developments in federal Indian policy.

“Indian country plays a vital part of the overall gaming industry. We are excited because Indian country has been a major part of the success of G2E. From day one of the planning stages of this global gaming convention, Indian country has been consulted, and we continue to part of their success.” Chairman Stevens said.

“Today we have the next generation of leaders who currently represent Indian country in the multiple issues that impact Tribal sovereignty, including economic development through Tribal government gaming. I want to emphasize that these leaders are educated, experienced and well prepared for their roles as elected leaders representing Indian country. These leaders here today are just a few representatives of the next generation who are protecting sovereignty and standing firm for Indian country.”

The panelist included: Kevin Leecy, Chairman of the Bois Forte Band Of Ojibwe, Mark A. Macarro, Chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, Stuart Paisano, Councilman for the Pueblo Sandia Tribe, George Skibine, Acting Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, and Mark Van Norman, Executive Director of NIGA.

The keynote panel session began with opening remarks from Chairman Stevens, and Gay Kingman, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux, wife of the late tribal sovereignty advocate S. Timothy Wapato, and herself a noted tribal leader.

Working with then NIGA Chairman Rick Hill, Kingman and her late husband helped strengthen and reestablish NIGA in 1993. After giving a brief history of NIGA, Kingman told the crowd, “While gaming is very important to our nations, we must never leave our culture, traditions, and spirituality behind as we embrace this new world.” Gay emphasized the strength of the family environment at the National Indian Gaming Association and appeared pleased with the “next generation” of new leaders.

Chairman Kevin Leecy, Chairman Mark A. Macarro, and NIGC Acting Chairman George Skibine each addressed issues and topics, such as state governments relationships related to tribal-state compacts and the overall economic climate of the gaming industry today.

After a statement by each of the panelists, Chairman Stevens then turned the question and answer session duties over to Roger Gros, for a Q and A session.

Gros directed his first question at Chairman Leecy by asking if the image of Native Americans is tied too closely to Indian gaming.

“Yes and no,” Leecy responded. “Yes, because it’s funny when I hear some people talking about where they are going to go. They say, ‘I’m going to go to Mystic Lake.’ That’s one indication where we tie tribal casinos a little bit too much to the Indian nations. But it’s a good thing because Indian Gaming is doing good things for the community.”

Next, Gros asked Councilman Paisano about New Mexico’s longstanding tribal relations with the Governor of New Mexico with respect to Indian gaming. Paisano credited former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for strengthening New Mexico’s tribal-state relationships.

“Prior to Governor Richardson, it was always a struggle at that time in educating the legislators and the executive branch. We hope that other states throughout the country follow the lead of Bill Richardson in creating cabinet-level types of positions and hiring Native American people in order to educate and to deliver better services to tribal governments,” said Paisano.

Gros’ other questions to the panel included inquiries about the impact of presidential administration transitions on Indian Country.

This was yet another great panel and show by Indian Country. The following is additional highlights of G2E 2009.

This year’s expo also featured an Indian gaming track that addressed the specific challenges and issues of the unique tribal gaming sector.

Day One of the Indian gaming track opened with “Big Brands: Native Casino Design”, a session that examined branding as a part of the overall design process. The day’s sessions also included, “NCCG at G2E: Myths vs. Evidence: The Impact of Indian Gaming”, which included a panel that addressed the various Indian myths that persist in the media, “Spreading the Wealth: Tribal Financing Options”, a session that focused on the best way to qualify for loans, and “Tribal Perspective: Indian Gaming and Obama Administration”, which focused on whether the change Indian Country sought to under the Obama administration has been delivered.

Day two kicked off with “National Indian Gaming Commission: An Update”, a session that discussed Class II gaming, off-reservation gaming, and the relationship of the NIGC with other federal bodies. The sessions continued with “Tribal Compacts 2.0”, which focused on providing background information on compact models, older models, and how the next generation of revenue sharing can benefit tribal and state governments, “Regulation and Respect: Tribal Commissioners Working Together”, which brought together several tribal gaming commissioners to discuss how they do their jobs working with tribes, states, and the federal government. Day two ended with “Tribal Sovereignty: Limited Non-Tribal Jurisdiction over Casino Patron Disputes”, which examined how tribes should draft their tort claims ordinances to ensure the utmost protection of their sovereignty.

The last day of the Indian gaming track opened with the Signature Series, “When Down Seems Like Up: The Impact of the Economy on Tribal Gaming”, which examined the ramifications of lower revenues on a tribe’s finances and how it can be handled. The last session of the track was “Tribal Labor Relations: Sovereignty or Solutions”, which addressed the impact of the Federal labor laws on tribal casinos.